How Are You Growing?

Often when things are changing in our life we can experience uncertainty and perhaps some anxiety on how to move forward…on how to grow. Just as many of us experienced growing pains as a child, there can also be growing pains as an adult.

I was recently looking at my plant that I named Hope and admiring her beauty and simplicity. It was a busy day where I was feeling there was more on my plate than I had time to manage. Some big projects that I am excited about are unfolding and yet I was moving into the ‘how’ will I have enough time for it all. Then, as I was looking at Hope, I remembered how little she was just three short years ago.

In 2014, I realized it was time for me to move from my beloved loft. I loved that place yet wanted to lessen my expenses and I yearned to live closer to the lake. It was a beautiful space in an ideal location, and yet it simply wasn’t selling. Months went by and 2015 was welcomed in. Someone told me that I needed to add greenery by the front door of my place, so off to the store I went. There she was, about 9” tall and called a money tree. So, I picked her up, brought her home., and placed her by my front door. Now, I can’t say that she is the reason my place sold, but my place was under contract and sold by early March.

As I sat looking at Hope the other day, I was amazed at how truly tall she had grown in those three years. She is now over 4’ tall and simply continues to grow with minimal care. I water her, I make sure she gets light, and I talk to her about how happy I am she is thriving. I don’t keep poking her, prodding her, or digging into the dirt to see if her roots are healthy. On occasion, I do worry about her. Am I watering her too much or too little? How is she when I travel, is she too hot or too cold? And then I remind myself that she just is. She doesn’t worry about her situation. She reaches out to the sun and just lives.

What if we chose to live life that way? Relaxing in the knowingness that we are loved and simply reaching out for the light to touch us, to soothe us, to feed us, and allow us to grow.

Hope is a daily reminder to me on how little we need to thrive. We can create our daily lists of what needs to get done. We can dig up past worries and try to fix them. Or we can reach for the light and appreciate today while growing our tomorrows.

Moving forward, I invite you to grow your tomorrows by:

Watering your today. Whatever you are going through today, nourish yourself with love, kindness, and compassion.

Look for the light. In every situation we find ourselves in, there is always something to be grateful for and appreciate. Look for things to appreciate in your daily life, put your attention there and allow it to grow.

Being kind to yourself. When you catch yourself thinking limiting thoughts – I’m too old, not smart enough, or whatever you tell yourself that you are unworthy of living your dreams, reframe those thoughts into gentler, kinder thoughts. Feed your mind, body, and spirit love.

Mostly, my wish for you is to realize that as you move toward your dreams, there will still be challenges, uncertainty, and fear that pops up, and you get to choose how to move through it. As you grow into your dreams, go forward with love, kindness, and compassion… especially for YOU!

Until next time, play, grow, thrive…and HOPE.

Affirmation:

Each day I grow deeper in love with life.

Words to LOVE by:

“Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.” – Fred Rogers

“Growth is the only evidence of life.” – John Henry Newman

“When you think about growing and being empowered yourself, it is what you’ve been able to do for other people that leaves you the fullest.” – Oprah